Adjustable shoe



B. D- SPENCER ADJUSTABLE SHOE April 1, 1952 6 0 2 R .Y 1 w M 3 .2. w m m m 2 MM n m s my e a w 1 W 0/ m g m W fi 2 m i 3 W? W 20 3 mi 0 0 1 v F 2 fl u m Filed Aug. 17, 1951 April 1952 B. D. SPENCER 2,591,211

' ADJUSTABLE SHOE Filed Aug. 17, 1951 2 SHEETS--SHEET 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 1, 1952 UNITED STATES OFFICE ADJUSTABLE SHOE Burdell l). Spencer, Oxon Hill, Md., assignor to the United States'of America asrepresented by the Secretary of the Army Application August 1.7, 1951, Serial'No.24'2,399

(Granted. undeuthe act 01:? March 3,. 1883; as;

amended: April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) 4 Claims.

The invention described herein, if. patented,

maybe manufactured and used: by: or forxthel Government for governmental. purposes, without the payment to me of anyroyalty thereon.

My invention relates to a boot or shoe. The primary object of the invention'is to provide'means whereby footwear of the'loose-fitting type can be adjusted to provide a proper fit fora wideran'ge of foot sizes.

A further object ofthe invention is to provide a boot or'shoe, having abuilt-inadjustable band or girdle which surrounds the foot and holds the same rearwardly in the boot, and downwardly against the sole of the same.

A further object is to provide a boot or shoeof the-above-mentioned character which is watertight, and well adapted to be constructed'from;

rubber or the like, although. not-restricted .to this material.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will. be apparent during thGTCOUl'SB of the followingdescription;

In the accompanyingdrawings, forminga'part ofthis application, and in which like numerals are employed to designatewlike partsthroughoutw the same:

Figure l is a side elevation Of.'8.'Sh06 embody"- in'g my invention,

Figure 2 is a transverse.verticalsection taken on line 2-2'of Figure 1,

Figure 3 isa central vertical longitudinal section taken on line 33 of'FigureZ,

Figurei is a fragmentary perspective view of a double gusset constructionembodiedwixr theshoe,

Figure 5 is a'horizontal section taken on' line 5'-5 of -Figure 1,

Figure 6 is atransverse vertical section taken on line 66'of Figure l, and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary plan. view of. the shoe with the main. lace closure open, toshow'thecon struction'of the'built-in band and associated elemerits.

In the drawings, where for the purpose of. 911- lustrati'onx is shown" a. preferred: embodiment. of I myinvention, the: numeral. l0 designates: the

outsole of a boot or shoe, which :is'provlded with asuitable heel l l.- Aninsole I2 is fixedly mounted upon the outsolelll .in:a conventional manner and'covers substantiallytthe entire area: oi the same. The shoe shown. in the drawings is a high laceeshoe; and includes a." vamp I3, having, its marginal edge secured :.to thersoleh in.v a conven.

tional manner; The vamp i3 includesan integral tongue section or web l4, extendingito the: tops of the quarters iiand .ifiof the shoe; The tongue section I4 is :permanently connected .Withi'the' quarters l5. and: l 5 by long adjustingigussets .or

pleats l1, which'tlikewise extend fromv the top" of. the shoe downwardly to points H, where the formed entirely from rubber or the like, in which. case the gussets l'l maybe formed integral with the tongue section [4 and .quarters :15. and lfi.

When an all rubber constructionisused for-the" shoe. thequarterslS and .IG ,andthe vamp I3 are vulcanized or otherwise integrally secured to the sole ofth'e shoe. It should be understood, however, thatiit'is :not intended to. res'tricti'th'e invention to the'all rubber. construction, and it is entirely feasible to construct the shoevfrom.

leather or some flexible sheet plastics material, or

' the like.

Lacing eyelets l8 areprovided'near the'free longitudinal edges of the quarters l5 and..l6, and

these "eyeletsalso extend through the'gussets II toform alace closure for the shoe, which extends from the top thereof to the lower. end of the instep"area,..asshown. The gussets. ll permit wide range adjustment of theankleand instepportionsof the shoe. A shoelace I9 is provided for lacing up the closure of the shoe, as shown... If. desired, a suitableslide fastener, or any other conventional type of closure fastener maybe em-.

ployedinstead of the lace closure 'including'the' shoelace l9, shown in the drawings.

My built-inadjustable band or girdle i9 is preferably formed in separate companion sec--- tions' 20 having their lower longitudinaledge portions Zijoined to the insole l2 by vulcanizing; or the like.v If desired, theband l9 may be. formed unitaryarid extended transversely across the 'top'of the insolehlz, and. secured 'theretotbyvulcanizing or the. like. The band sections. 20 are preferably formedof rubber, like the remainder of the shoe, although other suitable mateiialssuch .as leather, plastic or fabric may be 7 employed. The lower edge portions Zli oftheband sections preferably extend. from the rear end'of the heel, as at 22, to points-23 near the ball of the foot, Figure-3. The-forward andJrear,

edges-'24 and. 25 of the'band sections 20 are substantially normal to thesinclinedportion l4 of the tongue section I, so that when the band sections 20 are tightened about the foot, the foot is drawn downwardly against the sole and rearwardly within the shoe. The band sections 2B are spaced laterally inwardly of the quarters l5 and l 6, and free from direct lateral connection therewith, Figure 2. The band sections 20 extend upwardly between the quarters l5 and I6 and tongue portion i4 and are likewise spaced from the tongue portion l4 and free from direct lateral connection therewith.

I provide a double gusset construction for connecting each band section 213 with the adjacent side of the tongue section it and the adjacent quarter. An outer V-shaped gusset 26 isdisposed between each band section 2t and the adjacent quarter E5 or IE5, and the upper longitudi nal edges of this gusset are secured to the adja cent quarter and band section 2i! by vulcanizing, or the like, as indicatedat 2'! and 28, Figure 4. The lower longitudinal edge 28 of each V-shaped outer gusset 26 is free from connection with the adjacent quarter and band section 29, as shown. The upper longitudinal edges of each gusset 26 are connected with the adjacent quarter and band section 2!! along the free longitudinal edges 29 and of the latter, and the lacing eyelets 18 may extend through the outer wall of each gusset 26, as shown.

An additional set of lacing eyelets 3! is provided near and along the free longitudinal edges 36 of the band sections 2t, and the band sections thus form a separately adjustable lace closure having a separate shoelace 32. The free longitudinal edges 39 preferably extend for the entire length of the inclined tongue portion it, as shown. The lacing eyelets 3i extend through the band sections 29 and also through the inner walls of the gussets 2E.

Inner pleats or gussets 33 are formed between the inclined tongue portion 54' and the adjacent band sections Eli, and the upper longitudinal edges of these inner gussets are attached. at 3 3, by vulcanizing or the like to the band sections 25, near the longitudinal edges as of the band sections. The lacing eyelets 31 extend through the gussets 33. The inner gussets 33 may be formed integral with the tongue portion it, or vulcanized thereto, as' desired. All of the joints formed where the gussets 26 and 33 are attached to the band sections 26, quarters l5 and i6, and tongue section are watertight, and this is true whether the boot is formed entirely of rubber, or from leather, or the like.

The outer gussets 2*? are coextensive with the long gussets ll and form continuations of the long gussets ill, for the length of the band sections Zll. The inner gussets 33 extend only for the length of the band sections 29, or between the forward and rear edges 24 and 25 thereof. The rear ends 35' of the inner gussets 33 are closed by vulcanizing or the like and are watertight. The rear ends 34 of the inner gussets lie adjacent to the rear edges 25 of the bands 20, as shown. The forward ends of both the inner and outer pairs of gussets 33 and 26 blend together and'are'close and watertight," as at 35, Figures 3 and '7.

In use, the foot is inserted in the shoe and passes between the band sections 26, which are then laced up to provide the desired degree of snugness. The tightened band sections force the foot rearwardly against the rear end of the shoe, and also downwardly against the sole. The gussets 26 and 33 permit a wide range of adjustment of the band sections 26, and a completely watertight construction is provided. The arrangement is such that the boot or shoe which would otherwise fit the foot very loosely has a proper fit. After the band sections 28 have been laced up, the free edges 2c of the quarters are drawn together by their shoelace is, and the gussets IT permit adjustment of the quarters l5 and it about the ankle, and form a completely watertight closure.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention, herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claimsJ Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a shoe having a sole, quarters and a tongue section connecting the quarters, band sections connected with the sole near the opposite longitudinal edges of the sole and extending above the sole and disposed between the quarters and tongue section, outer substantially V-shaped gussets arranged between the quarters and band sections and including upper marginal portions which are secured to the band sections and quarters, inner gussets connecting the tongue and band sections and disposed laterally inwardly of the band sections, said inner gussets extending longitudinally of the shoe for the lengths of the band sections only and having their ends closed, adjustable means connected with the band sections for drawing their free, ends together above the foot, and separate closure means for the quarters.

2. In a shoe having a sole, quarters and a tongue section arranged between the quarters, long adjusting .gussets connecting the sides of the tongue section and free marginal portions of the quarters and extending from the tops -of the quarters to points nearthe lower end of the instep area oi the shoe, band sections connected with the soleand extending beyond the opposite sides of the sole and disposed laterally inwardly of the quarters and long gussets and having their free marginal portions connected with the long gussets, inner short adjusting gussets arranged laterally inwardly of the band sections and connecting the sides of the tongue section with the free marginal portions of the band sections, the inner short gussets being coextensive longitudinally with the band sections and having their ends closed, adjustable means for drawing the free ends of the band sections together, and separate closure means for the quarters.

3. In a shoe having a sole, quarters and a tongue section arranged between the quarters and extending from the top of the shoe to a point near the lower end of the instep portion thereof, band sections connected with the sole near the opposite sides thereof and extending upwardly within the shoe between the quarters and tongue section, the free ends of the band sections extending along the inclined instep area of the shoe, long outer gussets connectingthesides of the tongue section and quarters andextending from the tops of the quarters to points near the forward ends'of the band sections, the long outer gussets also connecting the band sections and quarters along the lengths of the band sections, inner relatively short gussets connecting the sides of the tongue section and band sections and having their forward and rear,

ends terminating adjacent to the forward and rear ends of the band sections, the forward and rear ends of'the inner gussets and the forward ends of the long outer gussets being closed, adjustable means for drawing thef' free ends of the band sections together above the foot, and separate closure means for the free ends of the quarters.

4. In a shoe having a sole, quarters and a tongue section connecting the quarters, opposed band sections connected with the sole near the opposite longitudinal edges thereof and extending above the sole and between the quarters and tongue section, outer adjusting gussets arranged between the quarters and band sections and having upper marginal portions which are secured to the band sections and quarters, innei gussets connecting the tongue and band sections and arranged laterally inwardly of the band sections, the forward ends of the inner and outer gussets terminating near the forward ends of the band sections and being permanently closed, the inner gussets having rear ends arranged near the rear 20 ends of the band sections and permanently closed,

a shoelace connected with the band sections for drawing them together about the foot, and separate fastening means for the quarters.

BURDELL D. SPENCER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 180,741 Beasley Aug. 8, 1876 1,373,399 Bean Apr. 5, 1921 1,599,229 Given Sept. 7, 1926 2,315,334 Johnsen Mar. 30, 1943 2,530,637 Taylor Nov. 21, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 159,808 Great Britain Mar. 10, 1921 363,008 Great Britain Dec. 17, 1931 

